Signing Houston, others upgrades depth, but impact players lacking

On the day in 2008 that Lamarr Houston publicly apologized for getting arrested as a University of Texas junior for driving drunk hours after a Longhorns victory, he ignored his lawyer's advice and followed his conscience to the podium.

Houston, whose parents are pastors, fought back tears and vowed to learn from a mistake that fortunately averted tragedy, if not controversy.

"It's not the way I was raised," Houston said that day, according to reports. "I want to be a good role model for other kids and I don't want them to see me in this light."

On the first day of free agency Tuesday, the Bears signed a defensive end capable of confronting responsibility, based on how Houston has developed on and off the field since that isolated incident nearly six years ago. Most accounts of Houston portray the 26-year-old as a conscientious soul whose character will fit nicely into the Bears locker room. How well Houston fills the Bears' need for sacks, of course, will be how Chicago measures the impact of this offseason's marquee signing.

Overall on Day 1, the Bears upgraded their depth but didn't necessarily improve one of the league's worst defenses, opting for quantity over quality because the market left them little choice. Classify their moves as more solid than spectacular, though remember teams that get carried away in March seldom celebrate the following February. Take solace that nothing about Tuesday's moves warranted getting carried away in Lake Forest — positively or negatively.

When Michael Bennett re-signed with the Seahawks and Michael Johnson signed with the Buccaneers, it wasn't as if the Bears had lost Michael Strahan. No panic was necessary. Bennett and Johnson represented the top two available pass rushers, but neither guy has gone to a Pro Bowl without paying for the airfare. In Houston, the Bears landed a safe alternative.

Still, the Bears invested a five-year, $35 million contract with $14.9 million guaranteed on a pass rusher not exactly known for rushing the passer. Last season Houston marked a career high for sacks with six, interestingly 11/2 fewer than Julius Peppers, the man with the massive $14 million salary whom he replaced. Finances forced the transition more than football, though Houston gives the Bears an athletic, versatile defensive lineman who went to Texas as a high school running back just as former college teammate Henry Melton did.

The thing that stands out most about Houston as a Bear cannot be his hairdo. Alex Brown wasn't flashy either yet enjoyed a productive run at right defensive end before Peppers by simply being consistent. Like Brown, Houston arrives with the reputation for being such a relentless worker that nobody ever will nickname him LamaR&R. His offseason conditioning regimen includes boxing and wrestling, which impressed training partner and Bears guard Kyle Long so much, he tweeted about Houston's "non-stop motor.''

At 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, Houston excels against the run and gives defensive coordinator Mel Tucker options on the edge as he ponders more multiple schemes. Mostly, Houston's ability to slide inside to tackle offers general manager Phil Emery flexibility headed into the draft. But defensively, unknowns still outnumber the knowns.

By signing Houston and three other defensive players by dinnertime Tuesday, Emery immediately acknowledged seeing what you saw every Sunday in 2013. More accurately, Emery acknowledged seeing what made you cover your eyes. If the Bears could have sacked quarterbacks or tackled running backs, they would have made the playoffs. They didn't because of a defense Emery began rebuilding the minute the league calendar allowed.

After the Houston news broke shortly after 3 p.m., the Bears added safety Ryan Mundy and linebackers Jordan Senn, a special teams standout, and D.J. Williams, the presumed starter in the middle. The arrival of Mundy won't stop people from wanting the Bears to draft Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at No. 14 or Northern Illinois' Jimmie Ward in a later round. Mundy, on his third team in six seasons, provides competition at a weak position but hardly solves the problem.

The Bears still lack an impact safety, a starting cornerback if Charles Tillman signs with the Tampa Bay Ex-Bears and a defensive end opposite Houston. That used to be Shea McClellin's spot, but overestimating him in the 2012 draft ultimately forced the Bears to overspend on Houston.

If the Bears don't make an inspired decision by signing Jared Allen or Justin Tuck, perhaps giving McClellin one last shot to prove he can play defensive end makes more sense than signing a discarded veteran or relying on a rookie.